Marty Williams and Eric Swinderman "Straight Outta Oakland"

STRAIGHT OUTTA OAKLAND

Eric Swinderman, guitar,Marty Williams, piano, Ruth Davies, bass & Ranzel Merrit, drums, serve up a soulful stew of jazz, blues and "roots" music.

Any Bird's Nest regulars who were at Denise Perrier's gig here will certainly remember Eric Swinderman as the guitarist with the group.  I hadn't heard Eric in a while - I've always been impressed with his playing but he bowled over the entire house and we had to have him back!

He's bringing with him pianist/vocalist Marty Williams, called by Anna de Leon (former owner of Anna's Jazz Island, Berkeley, CA) a mixture of "Mose Allison, Oscar Brown, Jr., and Monk - unique!"

Holding down a rock solid pulse will be sought afterbassist, Ruth Davies, who toured extensively with blues legend, Charles Brown, as well as playing with jazz greatsClark Terry, Toots Theilemans, and the list goes on...

and Ranzel Merrit, their drummer of choice, whose credits include holding down the drum chair on tenor saxophonist Robert Stewart's CD, "In The Gutta" with Larry Bradford on Hammond organ and Ralph Byrd on guitar.

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